Archive for the tag “free drawing”

TRUE blue is the third installment of my mystery/suspense series based on a Chicago cop family, the DeLucas. So why, you might ask, is there a picture of a mountain lake and a waterfall on the cover?

Good question. Yes, two thirds of the story in TRUE bluedoes take place in the streets of Chicago. Chicago is a fascinating city compiled of seventy-seven different neighborhoods that house the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich and every socioeconomic class in between. Diversity is Chicago’s middle name. The streets are bustling with commerce, culture, and unfortunately in many instances, crime. Given all that, what better place to set a mystery/suspense novel? From the often serene beauty of Lake Michigan and the famous Chicago skyline to the tired apartment complexes of the inner city, Chicago is ripe for stories of personal triumph and despair.

And, for a pair of married detectives, it is filled with cases that need to be solved. But life can be hectic in this bustling city when you are attempting to keep up with your current case load while trying to solve a twenty-four year old murder, deal with the return of a childhood sweetheart, keep a marriage together, and raise a very active three-year old all at the same time. Oh, and then there’s the extended family and all their issues to contend with. (Read on and leave a comment to automatically be entered to win a free e-book copy of TRUE blue!Drawing for the winner will be on August 3.)Read more…

Hello all! I’m on the Ndulgent Bloggers Blog Hop this week and this is going to be fun. Read on and in the end, leave a comment and you will automatically be entered into my giveaway for a free e-copy each of Heartbeatsand Freefall. But don’t stop there! Ndulgent Bloggers are hosting a GRAND PRIZEof $100 Gift Card from the WINNER’S CHOICE of Barnes & Noble or Amazon, so click the button after the post to enter the Grand Prize giveaway and continue on with the Hop for some more great giveaway opportunities!

Now let’s get on with it. What are my Top 10 Guilty Indulgences?

Right now, as I work toward the deadline of my new romantic suspense novel, ICE Blue, everything I do feels like an indulgence! Writers write because some masochistic thing inside us tells us we just love to create characters and stories, then sit for untold hours at a computer (thank God for computers, it makes it easier to do all those rewrites!) and hash out the words. Sometimes the words come easy, sometimes it’s like pulling a stubborn elephant out of a pool of quicksand…not that I’ve ever done that…but I can imagine…the thick, oozing, sucking sand…the gray, wrinkled elephant bleating in protest…oops, sorry, going astray. Ah, yes, that is one of the indulgences, letting the mind stray from the task at hand. So what are my top ten ways to indulge myself as trudge toward that deadline?

#10. This is the easy one. Ice Cream. I try not to have it every night!

#9. Chocolate. It’s a great reward after I complete a scene. Not only does it taste good, but the combination of sugar and caffeine gives the mind a boost to help it create that next scene, especially when it’s a love scene!

Hi, author Susan Rae here. Welcome to my blog and the Mother’s Day Book Blast Blog Hop. Leave a comment below and you will automatically be entered to win a free download of Heartbeats orFreefall!

Mommy down time—we all need it. Unfortunately it often comes in fits and spurts and we have to make the most of it when we get it. What is the one thing that helps Moms get a quick break now and then in this hectic world we live in? Their eReaders. Here is my highly scientific survey on the top ten reasons why moms absolutely love their e-readers. Okay, I admit, it’s not all that scientific–I simply asked a few mothers what they love about their eReaders and this is what we came up with!

1o. On The Go: eReaders are lightweight and fit easily into the diaper bag.

9. The Forever Nursing Baby: Easy to hold the baby in one arm/hand and your eReader in the other. Super easy to turn the page with a touch of the button. Doesn’t disturb baby. Read more…